


Eye of the Storm (Multichapter story)

by brownskinsugarplum76



Series: Maggie_and_Robert [2]
Category: Led Zeppelin, Rock Music RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, British, California, Car Accidents, Driving, F/M, Female Character of Color, Flirting, Football | Soccer, Hanging Out, Hugs, Injury, Kissing, Latino Character, Reunions, Road Trips, Rock Stars, Singing, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2019-11-05 04:36:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17912135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brownskinsugarplum76/pseuds/brownskinsugarplum76
Summary: Robert and Maggie meet up again, in 1976, by chance at a soccer game. Maggie and her band have released their first album and are ready to tour. Robert is weeks out from the release of Led Zeppelin’s first album after his car accident and wants to enjoy his last days of calm before the madness begins again. Both characters must deal with career changes and their feelings for each other. (Alternate universe story. Single Robert, no kids, but most everything else is as it happened.)





	1. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Maggie meet up again after a year apart. Their relationship has been free-flowing and undefined, but fueled with enough passion for it to bloom whenever they get together. Robert is looking for calm before the storm of his wild tour life and hopes they can pick right back up.

Robert was enjoying himself at one of his favorite places besides the stage: the soccer field. He smiled as he watched the LA Aztecs thwart another Dallas Tornado goal attempt at 80 minutes into the match. He had to admit it wasn’t as exciting as being at a Wolverhampton game, but it would do. Few people in America got feverishly passionate about soccer like his countrymen and women. This was especially so in LA, the playground of starlets and rock stars, most of whom thrived on nocturnal indulgences rather than daylight spectating.

He swept his hair out of his face for the umpteenth time. The wind meant that Old Man Winter, as gentle as he was in The Golden State, was not ready to retreat. Robert was glad he’d brought his leather jacket with him from Benji’s car; his black, long-sleeved tee wasn’t enough to ward off the coolness of the air. He had to laugh at the thought that the weather could be considered chilly, having survived much worse winters across the pond.

It was a few weeks shy of spring, a few weeks before he’d be thrust back into the spotlight with the release of the seventh album. He was proud that the band was still standing. During their forced hiatus there had been an influx of raw, hungry, minimalist groups openly mocking bands that reveled in grandiose musical ideas on grandiose stages, and Zeppelin was not immune to these kinds of attacks. But being in the studio a few months prior in front of a microphone felt like home, even if he was still on the mend.

Just like his pride in the band’s resilience, he was thankful to be on his feet unaided, a couple months removed from the confines of a wheelchair or leg brace. He was also extremely thankful that his fall in the studio, during a moment of excitement, didn’t cause another injury and another setback. He wouldn’t have wanted to let the band or himself down in that way.

He shifted his attention back to the game. He refused to sit while soaking in the sun and the sport, the camaraderie with his friends, and the feeling of being alive and well. He also was enjoying being off duty, as Robert Anthony, rather than the Golden God. He would enjoy that feeling while it lasted; it never lasted long.

He had been scanning the crowd periodically as, in addition to the game, he was looking to score a lineup for a passionate match in his bedroom. It seemed a bust, because the few women present were tightly clinging to their significant others. But then he saw a familiar face, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Maggie.

He hadn’t seen her in about a year, though she lived a road trip away. And now he realized that had been a mistake. With too much on his mind after his accident, instead of reconnecting, he felt it safer to conjure up the memory of her body on their first night together. He remembered fondly how she lay underneath him in San Diego, slightly dusted with sand, as the world spun in a haze of tequila and the ocean waves rolled incessantly a few yards behind them. He also frequently thought of seeing her the following year at Kezar. Bonzo joked that she was the second bird who felt the clutch of his hand that day. It was an apt description, because Robert couldn’t keep his hands off of her. After that reunion, he stole as much time as he could to visit her in San Diego or spirit her away to LA, whenever the band was camped in its American home base. Their relationship was free-flowing and undefined, but fueled with enough passion for it to bloom whenever they got together. He hoped they could pick right back up.

He watched her approach the stands, alone, and he took that as a positive sign. “Maggie, love!” he exclaimed. He raised a hand and waved; his cuff bracelet was almost in danger of flying off in his excitement. The gesture bordered on absurdity, as if she wouldn’t be able identify a tall, otherworldly attractive man, one with whom she’d had many happy memories, who also just happened to be a household name. He grimaced at his overeagerness. But if his convalescence in Malibu told him anything, it was that cabin fever was possible in paradise. He wasn’t quite ready to engage in tour life, but he was ready to be the prowling, pouncing lion again, not the broken man who was the receiver of TLC, even though the women were very lovely and very willing. He craved a fun fling, or more, with the right woman. The sight of Maggie gave him hope that he would get his wish.

She looked his way. Her mouth went wide, but her face soon settled on delight.

“Robert!” she squealed when she reached him. “What are the odds? How are you?” She threw her arms around his neck.

His spirited bear hug lifted her petite body from the ground before he initiated a kiss, one that successfully conveyed how much he missed her.

“Much better,” he said, putting her down and smiling some more.

“That’s right, your accident! You’re lucky to be alive!”

“I’m also lucky to be walking without a limp or anything… Some of the specialists had their doubts, but I never gave up.”

“That sounds like you. You look great,” she said, appreciating every inch of him from his hair, which was bigger than usual due to the vicious wind, to the red Converse sneakers on his feet.

“So do you.” He realized nothing had changed: her dark, wavy hair still grew past her shoulders, her smile still warmed his heart, and her curves, swathed in jeans and a thin sweater under an open peacoat, still called to his primal core.

He brushed her wind-blown hair out of her eyes. It was a futile gesture, because there was no shortage of wind. But when his hand came to rest on her cheek, it did accomplish what Robert ultimately wanted: a tender connection.

Maggie closed her eyes to savor the feel of his large hand. Robert beamed at the thought of how much she seemed to have missed it.

She greeted Benji, whom she had met at Kezar Stadium, and introduced herself to the rest of Robert’s friends.

“Can I get you something? A hot dog? A beer?” Robert asked Maggie.

“I’m OK, thanks.” She turned to watch the play on the field.

“No worries. If you have time, maybe we can stop somewhere after the game?”

“I’d like that.”

Robert picked up his beer and took a sip. “So, what brings you up here, love?”

“I actually live in LA now. The band, we were signed, and we released our first album last month. We’ve been doing a bunch of LA gigs and are gearing up for a short tour in the summer. And we’re going to open for Santana on a couple of dates this fall!”

“How wonderful! The time of year will be perfect for your tour. No risk of an icy car crash death, as when we first hit America…”

“I’m definitely glad for that! And you’ll have to tell me that story another time. How frightening! So, I think I’ve read that you all have a new album coming out soon?” Maggie asked.

“In a few weeks’ time.” Robert sighed.

“Not excited?”

“I’m glad we recorded again, and it was really amazing that the album came together so quickly, but I have been enjoying the slow pace of our time off. I’ve missed the stage, but the circus that forms up around us, night after night? It’s been good to have some distance from that, you know?” He watched LA race down the field and score a goal. He pumped his fist in the air and cheered.

“Lifelong soccer fan? Here by yourself?” he asked, changing the subject.

“I am,” Maggie said. My father got us kids interested in soccer, and we all played in the neighborhood. My one brother was supposed to be here with me today, but he’s a bit under the weather.”

“Rough and tumble tomboy past, then?” Robert took another sip of beer.

“I did have more boy friends than girl friends growing up. It led to lots of crazy adventures, but it also gave me the confidence to lead the band and deal with trashy men in the industry…”

“I bet you’ve come across tons of them already.”

“Tons,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“Well, if I know you, you’ve reduced them to damn near tears at the end, yeah? I know you don’t take shit from anyone.”

“Thankfully we have a manager now, so I can step out of that role, but yes, I have fought for what we deserve.” She grinned proudly. “My band is my life and my family. I can’t keep quiet when things seem to be going wrong for us.”

“That’s my girl!” Robert leaned in closer to Maggie. “I also remember that you’re a lady who knows what she wants and doesn’t stop until she’s satisfied,” he whispered in her ear before nipping her earlobe. A hungry smile spread across his face as he contemplated her fiery spirit.

“And that has not changed,” she said, turning and looking into his eyes.

She placed a hand on his chest as he tilted her face and kissed her slowly.

Robert marveled at his eagerness to consider leaving the match early, to spend some alone time with Maggie. This was new behavior, and it spoke volumes about the importance he had placed on her.

With only a handful of regulation minutes left, and LA comfortably ahead, he decided to break with tradition. For her.

“I think we know how this is going to go…” He put on his sunglasses and zipped up his jacket.

“The game, or our time together?” Maggie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ah!” Robert ran a hand through his hair. “I meant the game,” he said with a chuckle. “But–”

“–I’m teasing you. I’m sure both of your thoughts are spot-on. In fact, I’m counting on it.”

“One catch, though, Maggie dear: you’d need to drive, as I’m still at the mercy of Mr. Lefevre, here, for getting around. LA traffic is too much work too soon for my delicate bones, I’m afraid.”

“At my mercy… I like the sound of that, even if you left out the detail of me being your chauffeur…”

“You’ll forgive an invalid lad and be gentle, won’t you, love?” His sweet gaze became more seductive the longer their eyes connected.

She sighed, remembering how Robert could charm his way out of anything, and how willing she had been to let him do it. “Sure, if that’s what you really want…”

“For now, anyway,” Robert countered.

With a warm smile, Maggie linked her arm with Robert’s. The two of them said goodbye to his friends and headed to Maggie’s car.


	2. On the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Maggie drive to the mystery location and share some quality time on the way. Maggie is concerned about how Robert feels about the upcoming release of the Presence album.

“Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?” Maggie asked as she fished her sunglasses and her keys out of her bag while they walked.

“Nope,” Robert responded. “I’ll give you directions. But I can say it will melt in your mouth, and I’ll make sure you get your fill.”

“I should’ve known you’d start before too long.” Maggie laughed. She couldn’t see Robert’s stare beneath his aviators, but she imagined his eyes were twinkling.

“I’m always up to my tricks, darlin’. But why don’t I make one thing crystal clear…” He stopped and turned to Maggie.

He framed her face with his hands. “It’s so good to see you again, Magdalena. “Bésame,” he said, moving in for a kiss that claimed her and hinted at much more to come.

“You remembered how to say it,” she murmured, nuzzling into his chest.

“And I haven’t said it to anyone since our last time,” he said, kissing her forehead and smoothing her hair.

They started walking again. “I hope you might have some time to spend with me over the next few weeks? Can you stay with me?” Robert asked gently. “I’d love to see you as much as possible before all hell breaks loose in my life again. And in yours, too.”

“I’d love that. It’s slow for us right now, too. It’s exciting, but scary. It’s–”

“–Like being almost at the top of the first hill on a bloody roller coaster,” Robert offered.

“That’s exactly it! Everything is sort of calm right now, but once our tour starts… Who knows? Or, at least, I hope it will get chaotic, if things go well…”

“I’m sure it will go fantastically. I was blown away by the performance I saw a few years back. I’m sure America will fall in love with your music, too.”

“Thanks,” Maggie said, blushing. “Uh, I owe you a copy of the album, don’t I?”

“Yes. Yes, you do. I want it autographed. And then, Mademoiselle Rock Star,” he looked down briefly before launching a mischievous grin at her, “I, your biggest fan, want you to sign my–”

“Dios mío, Robert!” She laughed. “You and your one-track mind! But I can’t deny my fans,” she mused.

“Well, me, at least, anyway? Your favorite fan, I hope? I’d love the full service treatment from a budding rock vixen. It will be a fun change of pace for me.” He kissed her again after dialing his charm up to the max.

“I’ll think about it. But you’re not the only hot man in town who digs our music, you know,” she teased.

Maggie’s words were playful, but in that moment, Robert realized her reality would mirror his, if her band was lucky. She’d be in the midst of a never-ending party atmosphere and a carte blanche of nighttime partners, if she desired them. The thought boiled his blood, but without a solid relationship between them, and the much more debauched, hedonistic haze that would resume in his life, he realized he had no right to be jealous. And yet…

Robert needed to stop that line of thinking and focus on the pleasures of the present. “Right. So, let’s go to yours after our surprise stop, and you can get your things. Now, what do we have here? Does this cute four-wheeled bugger belong to you, then?” He examined Maggie’s car, a red Toyota Corolla.

“It does, and I’m going to enjoy seeing you fold yourself up to fit in it.”

“I’d say I’m a bit of an expert at fitting in tight spaces… I believe you’re familiar with my work, yeah? I can manage this, darlin.”

She hit his arm and groaned before unlocking the passenger door and walking over to the driver’s side.

“Seriously though, I hope this won’t be too uncomfortable for you,” she said when they were both seated in the car.

“It’s a bit of a drive–halfway between my place and yours–but I’ll be fine.” He patted her leg. “We’ll walk around a little between stops, and I’ll stretch my legs when we get home. I’ll be right as rain.”

“OK, then. Lead the way!” she started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot.

***

Maggie watched the streets and the palm trees whiz by, and then the billboards on the freeway. She noticed one announcing the upcoming release of Presence. Robert noticed, too but kept silent. It concerned her a little that he didn’t take the opportunity to brag about the album or this larger-than-life publicity. She decided to ask him later how he was feeling about his return to the spotlight.

It was her first time driving Robert around, but he had driven many times. He drove fast when cars thinned out on the road, but played it safe when the volume of traffic picked up. She realized it was a lot like his unspoken life philosophy: easygoing when a light touch was needed, but wild when he could get away with it.

They shared many happy road trips together, to the beach–their beach in San Diego–or to places like Joshua Tree Park and Hearst Castle. They were good travel companions. Robert had not been to most of the places in the early years, as the Riot House offered his preferred tourist attractions, so he paid rapt attention when Maggie divulged the secrets of her state. She smiled when she thought of all the memories they had built up. But it was not lost on her how it became more challenging for him to be a simple tourist as his fame increased, how much he was sacrificing to do memorable things with her. It meant the world to her that he risked the never-ending attention of his fans to be with her.

She kept her driving steady and vigilant. Robert turned out to be a model passenger, giving her ample warning before she had to turn or switch lanes, keeping her entertained with stories of his life in convalescence and tax exile, singing along to the songs on the radio with the same passion he delivered onstage. She could get used to the idea of regularly getting a private concert from him.

“What is a beauty queen if it don’t mean that I’m your number one?” he sang with conviction, eyes closed. He surprised himself with how his feelings for Maggie bled through his singing, as well as the depth of those feelings.

“You don’t have to be a star, baby, to be in my show,” they both belted out moments later. Maggie shot Robert a brief smile before turning her eyes back to the road.

“Ah! We sound damn good together, Maggie dear! We have to do it some more. I enjoyed singing with Sandy on the fourth album… Singing with a woman is much more satisfying than harmonizing with Jonesy. Bless his heart,” he drawled.

“Here’s another good one!” Maggie exclaimed, as the happy disco groove of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” started up.

They traded lines, and Robert interjected with direction updates as needed.

They sang another couple of songs. Maggie was overjoyed that she had run into Robert and was thrilled that he still felt the same way about her. She was looking forward to having a little more time with him than she’d had before, at a time when she needed to be with someone who would understand her excitement and her fears. She vowed to enjoy the time but not expect more; in the past, it had helped her to get out of each visit with her heart intact. It was especially important now, if she wanted to give her band its best chance at success.

She and Robert were close to the mystery destination, off the freeway again. She looked at him at a traffic light, admiring how the sun illuminated his cotton candy curls. He caught her looking, and a smirk turned up the corners of his mouth. “Oi, there’s something on your face, love,” he said, his face scrunching a little in concern.

“Oh, what is it?” she said, mirroring his quizzical glance.

In a flash, his face switched back to mischief, and his lips were on hers, his hand cradling her head. They almost forgot where they were, until the angry sounds of car horns reminded them.

“Got a little too carried away there,” he said, chuckling to himself. “But, actually, we’ve reached our destination. Pull in here, and get ready for something delicious,” he said, announcing their arrival.


	3. Confessions and Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter continues to look into Robert and Maggie’s feelings and their past, and where things might go between them in the future. No smut, but there is innuendo, verbal and physical.

Maggie parked and found herself staring at a small building with windows for walk-up orders. Lines of people were patiently waiting their turn. Anyone driving by would have known in an instant that it was an ice cream shop, by the large statue on top of the building. It was an ice cream cone with cartoon eyes, a Cheshire grin, and gangly arms and legs, a frozen confection caricature that was frozen in a dancing pose.

“I first noticed this place on a ride back from LA, and I made Benji stop,” said Robert, while he and Maggie continued to sit in the car.

“I can picture you, dying to be first in line and racing to the window,” Maggie teased.

“You know me, I always go hard for what I want,” he said with a maddeningly sly smile. “But alas, my ankle was uncooperative, and Benji wasn’t a good sport about getting to the front. So your cherished Golden God queued up like everyone else.”

“Referring to yourself in third person, are you now? Maybe your pain meds need to be reduced?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” The sly smile returned. “No, I’m basically off of those. I’m running on my standard chemical enhancements. And my favorite natural high, of course.”

“Well, it’s official, folks: Mr. Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll is back to normal.”

“As normal as I can ever truly be,” he quipped with self-deprecation. “But yes, I’m mobile, I’ve got time to burn, and I’ll be on vacation, as far as I’m concerned. I’m looking forward to shacking up, as it were, with you, during this last bit of down time.”

“It really has been too long,” Maggie agreed.

“And I’d really love to keep this thing going after the music hoopla kicks in. Having a girl who can understand the highs and the lows of being an artist–having that person be you–would mean the world to me. And I’d love to be there for you, too, if you’d let me.”

He stared intently at Maggie and sighed. “You know, I missed a big opportunity when I moved here… I should’ve reached out to you then. I wasted a lot of time.”

“I’m glad you brought that up. Why didn’t you call? You always did before. It was disappointing to have to read about it in Rolling Stone.” Maggie looked expectantly at Robert.

“All I wanted to do when I got here was to forget everything. We had to cancel the final leg of what was an exciting tour, which was most disappointing. But Cole damn near had to pick roaches off me in the hospital and bribe our way out of Greece.”

He brushed his hair out of his eyes and turned toward the window. “And then I could barely say goodbye to my friends and my parents before the taxman would’ve grasped me by my collar and waylaid me with highway robbery. All of Great Britain’s greatest musicians are in America now, you know, and not by choice,” he said, turning back to Maggie with a pained expression on his face.

“I read about that… Either stay away, or lose a fortune.”

“Exactly. Tough choice, that, convalesce among my loved ones and be left with fuck all in my bank account, or retain the spoils of conquering the world, but be left without most of my favorite people around… I knew where my head was at, and I feared you wouldn’t have wanted to be around me.”

“I can understand your concern. It’s very rare that you’re not giving off a sunny disposition. But you wouldn’t have scared me off that easily.” She placed a reassuring hand on Robert’s thigh.

“I really thought I was making the right choice. But sometimes… I mean, Jimmy was camped a stone’s throw away in his place, and Cole and Benji kept my time occupied with all the revelry I could handle, but it was lonely for me, even though I was never alone, you know?”

He searched Maggie’s eyes before continuing, looking more weary than she’d ever remembered seeing him before.

“And don’t get me started on damn physical therapy. I’m grateful to them, for sure, but bloody hell, they were absolute sadists! It got pretty dark for me, for a lot of reasons. I even wondered if all these crazy coincidences meant I was cursed, or something…”

“I’m sorry to hear things got so heavy for you. What a lot of feelings and physical challenges to deal with…” Maggie was still, processing Robert’s words and fighting the burning sensation of tears in her eyes.

“Simply put, I was wrong. Seeing you has always been the highlight of my time on the West Coast. You’re a hell of a woman, love. You’re sweet, and a creative dreamer, but you never compromise on what you want. You put up with me, and my silly, spoiled rock star ways. You always put a smile on my face when we talk. And then, the delights of your beautiful, curvy body…” He looked at her with a gaze that cycled through a number of emotions: love, regret, joy, lust.

Maggie smiled and blushed at his words of devotion but also felt an insistent flutter in her core as carnal memories flashed through her mind.

“I let my mood and my nerves get the best of me,” Robert continued. “But no more. I want to make up for lost time. Let’s play house, shall we? Let’s wake up together, have fun excursions, let the sun warm us head to toe on the beach, enjoy night caps, and more, in the Jacuzzi…”

He smiled softly and caressed her cheek. “And then we can live through what comes after that, just us, together or apart on tour, for as long as it works. What do you say, señorita?”

“I’d really like that,” Maggie said, grasping and squeezing Robert’s hand. “And I would love for ‘this thing,’ as you call it, to keep going for as long as we can.”

“My sweet Mags.” He couldn’t contain his smile as he leaned in for a kiss.

She savored his words, warm as the sun that hovered in the afternoon sky without the shroud of a single cloud around it. It was what she had longed to hear from him over their years of off-and-on connection, a desire for something more solid, defined. She wanted to stay enveloped in the fantasy of the picture he painted with his words. She had to believe that she wouldn’t be burned by his promises later.

“So, what do you recommend here?” she asked, shutting the car door behind her as she stood. She was trying her hardest to stay in the present and not get swept away by guesses about what their future might hold. She also, reluctantly, realized she needed to curtail the indecent thoughts of Robert that just as forcefully battled for prominence in her mind. It had been way too long since his touch ignited electric sparks of lust through her body. It was maddening to be so close to him but so far from the ensnarement of his thighs, the pressure of his body on top of hers, the fullness of him inside–

“–All of the flavors are delicious,” Robert said, peering over the car at her and interrupting her thoughts, “but if I had to choose? I like the classics: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry.”

“All at once, I’m sure. Some things never change…”

“Hey!” Robert protested. “While I’m on the mend, dairy is even more important for my bones, innit?”

“You’ve won your case, Mr. Plant.” She couldn’t help but laugh. “OK, let’s get a little closer, so I can check out the menu.”

They joined a line. Maggie had her eyes on the menu, but most everyone else had their eyes on Robert or were whispering to someone about him.

It didn’t take long for the more courageous admirers to descend upon him, expressing their love of him and his band. Pens were produced, and napkins, bus schedules, anything the fans could get their hands on for him to sign. A few raced to their cars to procure eight-tracks, cassette cases, and cameras.

Robert was all smiles and thank-yous among his people. He confirmed for the crowd that the next Led Zeppelin album “would be out in a little more than a fortnight,” but that touring would likely come much later. “I’m still getting my sea legs back after my accident,” he explained. The crowd was sated, for the time being, by the interaction with their idol and the promise of a comeback album.

Maggie had lived this experience before, of fans wanting to share their favorite Led Zeppelin concert memories with Robert, or living a few seconds of fantasy by taking any conceivable opportunity to touch him. But now, she fantasized about this excitement someday being the reality for her band. She hoped they could achieve even a tiny fraction of the success that Led Zeppelin had.

She and Robert made their way to the front of the line. Others came and interacted with him. “I’ll have a mint chocolate chip cone, please,” Maggie said to the girl behind the counter. “And for him–”

“–Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry scoops. On the house for both of you, with all this business he’s bringing in!” The girl smiled and stared longingly at Robert. “How’s his ankle doing? Poor baby.” 

Maggie considered the teenage girl, who was surrounded by an invisible cloud of Love’s Baby Soft and swathed in a pink velour sweatsuit under her uniform smock. She wore a hair net over her ash-blonde mane, and Maggie would bet anything that a feathered hairdo would emerge from its workplace moorings after closing.

“Much better. We just came from a soccer game, and he was standing the whole time.”

“Lucky you! I’ve only seen him with the leg brace before. You’re new… He has come here a lot, but there’s always a different girl…”

Maggie blinked and considered the even expression on the girl’s face. Was it an absent-minded observation, or did the girl intend to hurt her? Maggie mulled it over. Either way, she wasn’t going to let it get to her.

“Well, if we’re back out this way, you just might see me again. I’m Maggie.” She smiled sweetly before taking both cones and walking away. The girl’s words caught Maggie off guard. Although Robert would never be free of admirers, all signals from him indicated that he wanted to put Maggie first. But she knew he had not been alone all this time. She had to be realistic.

She had enjoyed the shooting star path he blazed across her life on tour visits, leaving her to reconnect with reality alone when the time was over. She couldn’t help but wonder if his feelings this time would shift like an impermanent mountain of sand once he was back in the thick of tour life, or if she would be tossed indefinitely between his romantic desires and her professional dreams, his tinge of melancholy and her giddy anticipation. Only time would tell.

“OK, Golden God, here’s your dessert,” she said, snapping out of her spiraling thoughts and handing Robert his cone.

“This lady says that’s all for me today, I’m afraid.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled apologetically to the crowd before walking back to the car with Maggie, holding the ice cream with one hand and lightly grasping her waist with the other.

“Never mind the bollocks from those bloody punk bands, our fans are still solidly in place,” Robert concluded with the flashiest of smiles.

“How lovely to be so wanted still! And your turn is coming next, Mags. We’ll have some press interviews coming up, and I’ll be sure to mention the new sensation coming out of San Diego as a personal favorite!”

“Robert, I appreciate that, but you don’t have to–”

“–No, I insist, dear! I love your music, and it’s the least I can do for you. Oh, by the way, do you have any shows around here anytime soon?” He turned his attention to his ice cream, and not a moment too soon. It had started to melt a little while he was talking.

“Next Friday,” said Maggie.

“I must come to your rehearsal! It’s been so long since I’ve seen my sexy songbird on a proper stage.”

“I’d like that a lot. And, you know what else I would love?”

“What’s that?” Robert asked.

“I’d love for you to help me pull together some stage outfits.”

“I know just the place. But let me donate some of my jewelry to the cause, too.”

“Really? Thanks!” She nuzzled into his embrace of her.

“It’s not entirely altruistic,” he responded from above, still hugging her close. “I might make you model them for me, so I can see what looks best against your skin. Sans clothes, bien sûr,” he added, his voice softened to his trademark hypnotic murmur. “No distractions…”

“Por supuesto, of course.” Maggie wasn’t sure what made her feel weaker: Robert’s French, which was less heavily chained to his British accent than before, or his sexy fashion show idea. Either way, she was burning to be alone with him.

“So, next, it’s back to yours, grab your things, and drive off into the sunset to my place.”

“That’s right. And you’ll see my brother Victor again. We live together.”

“How’s he doing these days?” Robert asked, switching his attention back to the ice cream.

“Fine. He’s just as excited as I am to have this opportunity. He’s also driving the neighbors crazy, practicing his drumming all times of the day and night.”

“Shades of young John Henry Bonham,” Robert said, reflecting on his youth with a smile.

Maggie was busy with her ice cream cone. “I see why you go out of your way to come here,” she said, back at the car. “It’s not for the cashier; it’s this sinfully delicious ice cream.” She sighed after taking another lick of the irresistible cone. She also couldn’t resist probing Robert’s thoughts about his enthusiastic fan.

“Totally the ice cream, love. Young Gwen over there, she’s just a friend who indulges my sweet tooth from time to time.” He waved and smiled at Gwen, who still had her eyes on him. “With dessert,” he quickly added. “I’m sure she turns into an LA queen at night, but I’m not her king… Enough about her. I’d like you, talented woman, to show me how much you really enjoy this ice cream cone.”

“Sure. I am feeling pretty hungry and impatient, so I’m going to bite a big chunk out of it like this…”

He grimaced. “Whoa, not at all what I had in mind, love!”

She smirked at his reaction to her teasing. “But now I’ll take my time…” she closed her eyes and slowly licked up one side of the cone, and then all around. She continued traversing the scoop of ice cream while Robert watched and licked his cone when he wasn’t too busy smiling wickedly at the sight before him and the memories of her busy tongue on his sensitive skin. “Mmmmm… I miss getting the special treatment from you…”

“Your wait will be over soon. And mine,” she said with a wink. In a few hours they would be entangled, mind, body, and soul again, at his beachfront hideaway, and Maggie could hardly wait.


	4. Fantasy and Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What we have is pseudo-smut (it’ll make sense shortly) and more heartfelt road trip conversation and flirting. The real-life smut should go down with the next chapter! ❤️❤️❤️

Robert lowered himself on top of Maggie and continued his gentle thrusting. They had shared a frenzied, steamy moment earlier, and now, with that out of the way, he was expressing his feelings with every cell of his body. He was as close to her as two people could possibly be. He littered her with kisses and the tickling sensation of his long curls in constant motion, and he lulled her on the slow road to oblivion with the heat of his body and his metronome-regular strokes. Maggie telegraphed how she cared for Robert in much the same way, grasping him and meeting his movements, wishing their coupling could last forever. He growled softly in her ear and–

“–Earth to Maggie! Where’d you run off to in your head, love?” Robert gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

She jolted out of the fantasy that had occupied her mind for the last few miles on the road.

“I, uh…”

“Were you thinking about bananas and lemons, and the squeezing of lemons? Mine, to be specific?” He smiled his most mischievous smile, knowing he was right.

“Yes, Robert. You caught me thinking about tonight. You could say I’m a little impatient to be alone with you.”

“Your smile is what tipped me off. I must’ve been doing an exceptionally bang-up job… Rest assured, I’ll meet every last one of your expectations tonight.”

He nipped at her earlobe and traced small circles on her thigh for good measure. “Quite frankly, if I was 100 percent healed, I would have asked you to pull off the road for a proper reunion a while ago, but the yoga I’d have to bend into in your darling automobile on a bum ankle…”

“Well, excuse me for not having a limo for you, Your Highness.” She gave Robert’s leg a playful shove while she kept her eyes on the road, but a tiny smile was visible on her face.

“You know, you can drive us around in my Land-Rover. She’s not had much of a workout in quite some time. Benji’s been using his Cadillac when we go out.”

“Sure, I can do that,” she said, nodding her head.

“And then you can get your fix of me anywhere. And I of you.” His smile warmed her heart and her core at the same time. Robert was the only man who could make her feel loving and lustful at the same time. And she would never get enough of it.

“So, what have you been doing with your time off of your feet? Writing new songs? Re-reading your Tolkien books? Practicing new sexy faces for your concerts?” Maggie quickly glanced at Robert before turning her eyes back to the road.

“A little bit of this, and a little bit of that, but not much of anything productive, I’m afraid.”

He turned to Maggie, studying her familiar profile and smiling. “Well, I did write some songs, of course. One can’t help but be inspired when they’re living in paradise, yeah? But scenery notwithstanding, many of the songs that you’ll hear on the new album do have a bit of… Angst, shall we say.”

“Pobrecito… Poor, dear Robert,” she said, glancing at him briefly. “Did it help any to get your feelings out on paper? Out of your head?”

“It did at the time, but now I hope I didn’t get too moody. The fans are expecting us to serve as their aphrodisiac, as it were, not make them weep into their bloody cans of Miller.”

“I noticed that you were silent when we drove past the billboard for the album earlier. Is that why? Pre-release jitters? I’m sure it will be fine. Everyone is hungry for some new music from you all.”

“That’s what G keeps saying…”

“And you don’t believe it? The band with unbelievable concert attendance numbers and mountains of records sold, all without really breaking a sweat?”

“I do believe it, but… Things are different… I’m different. I won’t be wild, Black Country Robert, prancing about on the stage.”

Maggie turned down the music to focus on Robert.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to give ‘em everything I’ve got, same as always, but I don’t seem to have a prance left in me right now. It’s going to be baby steps as I continue to heal, you know? I’ll dream up a different way wiggle my ass and look good. Bonzo’s right, no one will ever take that away from me, at least.”

“I, for one, am counting on some ass shaking and strong singing,” Maggie said reassuringly. “I know you’ll be back to your old self once you get in front of an audience.”

“But beyond how I feel physically, I think I’m losing my zeal for tour life,” he continued. “It’s not enough to just be the happy, horny kid who sang every day and partied every night, you know? I’m excited, but I’m also restless. I need to know my future has something more than singing the same songs every night, even if we do throw something a little different in here and there.”

“What do you want to do instead?” Maggie asked.

“That I don’t know, Mags… For a brief moment I considered a solo album, or just saying fuck it and becoming a teacher or something, but…”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Ahhhhh… Bugger that! Enough self-pity blathering and castles in the sand…” He gestured with his hand as though the movement could cast his mood away. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear all of my ‘woe is me, poor little rock star’ bullshit. I haven’t even asked you about your feelings. I’m sorry, love, you’re the one leaping blindly into the abyss of touring a first album. What’s on your mind?”

“I am beyond excited. Everything is moving so fast, everything I’d always hoped would happen. I feel really blessed. We all do.”

“It sounds like you’re going to add a ‘but’?”

“But the waiting is hard! I wish we could start tomorrow and get that first concert out of the way. I want to know if they’re going to love us or not.”

“How have the album sales been?”

“There has been some interest. San Diego especially. People who know us from the dive bars down there have continued to support us.”

“What about singles? Radio play?”

“We have one single, but it seems that no one knows what to do with it. Rock radio is skittish, I think because there’s a woman fronting the band. It’s either that or our Latin influences that make us “unique,” as everyone likes to phrase it. But we’re not getting much Latin radio play, and we’re too rock for black radio… It’s like we don’t have a natural home or built-in audience.”

“I think there’s a place for you lot. Good music always finds a way, no matter how different it is.” Robert stroked her hair reassuringly.

“From your mouth to God’s ears, Robert.”

“I think you’re all amazing. Your brother, his rhythm! And he hits hard, almost as hard as Bonzo. You all play so tight. You make absolute bedlam in the audience. Trust me. I was there. If your record captured any of that, and I’m sure it did, you’re good as gold.”

Maggie smiled at the memory of Robert coming to one of their concerts a few years ago. The spectacle of rock royalty in the audience–he insisted on watching from the front row–did die down quickly once the concert was underway. The crowd couldn’t get enough of her band, and the noise before the encore was deafening. Robert was right, it was a night that made them all believe they were on the way.

“You’ll have people across the country dancing in no time. And when you strut onstage in the outfits I have in mind, if you’ll have them… There might be some news reports of this Prince of Peace getting into fights over the horny hordes of fans getting too close to his woman…”

Maggie didn’t know whether to laugh or thank him, or pull over to show him a different form of gratitude. “I love this fantasy you’re painting, Robert.” She also liked that he called her his woman.

“Mark my words, Mags, it will be a reality.”

Her smile was uncontrollable. “Now, back to you. You know what your problem is, Robert?”

“Tell me.”

“I think you’d believe that things will go fine if someone prettier than G was trying to cheer you up.”

He stared innocently at Maggie, and she caught his puppy dog gaze in her periphery. “You? What do you have in mind for a mopey bloke like me?”

“Everything you like, Robert. I have lots of ways to make you forget all your worries.” Maggie flashed a wicked smile at Robert before turning her attention back to the road.

“Don’t tease me, woman…”

She smiled smugly as she kept driving.

Robert yawned and looked out the window. They were almost at Maggie’s place with her brother. She was lost in thought again, with her musings ping-ponging from sex with Robert to his fragile mood, to her own anxieties. She asked herself whether her band should be practicing more, fretted about the order of their set list, wondered if anyone would show up when they weren’t in San Diego.

Her fitful rumination was interrupted by Robert’s soft snore. He had fallen asleep with his head leaning against the car window.

She glanced at him briefly and smiled at how comfortable he was with her. He felt safe enough to unpack his deepest struggles, and she was delighted that he felt that way.

She was also glad that their relationship was growing stronger. They were no longer in a new acquaintance phase, for which the most mundane conversation was volleyed back and forth to prevent awkward silences. Robert could share what was on his mind, or he could sit quietly while listening to the radio or looking out the window, while he found some reassuring way to touch her.

She thought of their ease with each other in the car as the equivalent of the couples on TV who would comfortably sit side by side in bed, one person reading a book, the other doing a crossword puzzle. It was the kind of relationship she wanted with Robert. She craved a partnership of two people who felt secure enough to be vulnerable with each other or tend to their private goals and interests as needed, without straying too far from each other. He seemed as willing to live that way as much as she was.

She smiled to herself. It was exactly what she needed while everything else in her life was so uncertain.


	5. The Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert gives Maggie a tour of his place, including a stop in the bedroom. But the lovebirds are interrupted by another member of the household.

“This really is paradise…” Maggie exited the car and marveled at the vividly colored flora before her and the rhythmic crash of the ocean that could be heard from behind the house.

She admired the sprawling, modern ranch with white walls and ceiling-to-floor windows that Robert had been calling home for quite some time. She decided she could get used to the stark, sunny house that sat in the middle of so much natural beauty.

Robert grabbed Maggie’s bags. “Indeed. Coming here was the best possible decision we could’ve made for our tax exile hideaway. Abundant sun, the ceaseless roar of the ocean, and a short drive away from my favorite American playground… Paradise, that.”

They walked to the door. “Hold a tick, would you, love?” Robert walked the bags into the house.

“Thank you for agreeing to live with me for a fortnight… Or longer?“ He asked when he returned, his voice full of hope. "I want to do this properly.” Before Maggie could ask him to explain what he wanted to do, or his mischievous grin, he lifted her into his arms and carried her over the threshold. He kicked the door shut behind them.

Maggie was all smiles and feeling like a queen. She settled on that description, quickly dispatching all of the bride and groom thoughts that tried to form in her head. Robert had yet to marry, and she expected that he wasn’t the marrying kind. She didn’t exactly mind, though, because she questioned whether it was the path for her. She wondered if living with Robert would change her mind, or if he would set her against marriage forever.

He lowered her to standing. With her back to the door, he caged her in his arms. Then he littered her with kisses, both delicate and rough.

She wound her hands into his hair and was thankful for the feel of his fluffy curls to ground her in reality, despite how hard Robert was trying to make her spin away into romantic dreams.

He caressed her face and backed up a few steps. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

“I must say, I do like the door to door service. Is that the custom here?” She was still too intoxicated from Robert’s kisses to focus on the surroundings. A private chance to take a good, close look at him after so many months apart kept her mind occupied, and she didn’t mind one bit.

“What’s in it for me?” Robert stepped toward her again. He placed his hands on her shoulders and then let his fingers trail slowly down her arms.

“I think you remember, don’t you?” She gazed into his heavy-lidded eyes and willed him to kiss her again.

This time their lips connected in a slow, rambling dance that made Maggie tingle from head to toe and purr contentedly. It wasn’t the excited reunion kiss at the park, or even one of the lazy, familiar kisses they shared in the car. This intimate exchange was filled with warmth and romantic serenity and seemed capable of going on forever.

It was, however, over far too soon, when the phone on the coffee table started ringing. Robert sighed at the breaking of their spell. He ultimately chose to ignore the interruption in favor of Maggie, but in the jarring cacophony that separated them, she turned her attention toward the living room while the phone continued to ring.

She brushed her lips against Robert’s one more time and walked out of the foyer. "So, what do we have here?” As much as she enjoyed his embrace, a chance to take stock of his current domestic habits was too good to pass up.

She expected there to be disorder that would reflect Robert’s vagabond approach to life and the jumble of diverse thoughts that he always seemed to bandy about in his mind, but there was order and simplicity. She admired a glass coffee table and end tables, a navy set of sofas and love seats, and a wood-panel, floor-model television with a stereo perched on top. Albums making up a respectable record collection rested against the wall. A bookcase to one side of the room contained books on everything from early blues artists to Welsh mythology and a Fodor’s guide to Morocco. A Persian area rug brought a little exoticism to an otherwise visually nondescript room.

“I see the look on your face, Mags.“ He closed the space between them and caressed her shoulders while lightly kissing her on the neck. "There’s a housekeeper who comes by once a week. You have her to thank for the orderly Architectural Digest vibes that you see before you.”

“It looks fantastic.” She walked past the dining room, which had the same color scheme and was just as neat, save the bottles of a few different kinds of spirits at varying levels of use that greeted her on the table.

“How about meals?” She opened the refrigerator. “Have you gotten beyond boiling water?” She noticed takeout and some Tupperware containers that were half full.

“I have the best help that money can buy for that, too,” he responded, sitting on the couch and groaning as he extended his legs for a much needed stretch. “There’s a lovely cook who comes by twice a week, bless her. She reminds me of my mum, which means no mayhem until she leaves.”

“The high priest of debauchery has adopted some decorum?” Maggie asked, returning to the living room and flopping down next to Robert.

“It appears that I’ve slowed down a bit. Blame the morphine for that…” He chuckled. “No, a little time away from the scene has given me much-needed perspective on life… Oh, speaking of Miss Betsy, the cook, I should mention that she and Miss Ellen, the housekeeper, have their own keys to get in. Cole and Benji, too.”

“Last but not least,” he said, “remind me and I’ll give you a key of your own. I have a duplicate or two in the bedroom. It was easier to give people keys when I was resigned to wheelchair transport, you know? And I’ll also get you the spare key for the Rover.”

“Thanks, Robert.” She was still having trouble believing that she would be living with Robert, but she had to admit that it was beginning to feel like home.

“Right. Let me put your jacket away, and then we’ll get on with things, yeah?” He helped her shrug out of her coat and hung their outerwear in a foyer closet.

“Next on the grand tour are the beds and baths. We’ll walk by Benji’s bedroom, too. He doesn’t live here, strictly speaking, but he’s been around enough over the past several months that it made sense to give him an official place to crash.”

They kept walking. “Then there are a few other empty bedrooms for guests, and bathrooms for them to share.”

He paused at one room. “And this,” he said, opening the door, “is where the magic happens. Most of the time, you understand. For songwriting, uh, and more…”

Maggie entered the room and walked around while Robert opened the windows.

Much to her surprise, there were no piles of clothes or shoes on the floor. An ironing board rested against the wall next to the closet. He had more respect for the sanctity of his own bedroom than he did for the rooms he slept in on the road. She’d always guessed that there were two sides to Robert’s life, and the peaceful, orderly nest that he’d shared with her was the clearest indication yet. She wondered what other surprises she’d encounter as she got to witness his life off of the road.

Though the room was tidy on the whole, she smiled as she began to recognize telltale signs of Robert’s presence. There was the unmade bed, with his latest song notebook and a pen still in place from morning writing. A teacup sat on the nightstand. Just outside, on the patio, an overflowing ashtray sat on a small wrought-iron table. A cluster of earrings, necklaces, and rings sat on the dresser, along with a feather roach clip. She’d seen him wear one in his hair before; she didn’t know if the clip was for function or fashion, but either way, she knew his prized bundle of Acapulco Gold and its necessary accouterments would not be too far out of reach.

Also on the dresser were a wooden brush and a few different bottles of cologne. She imagined Robert standing at the dresser looking in the large mirror and toying with his locks. She had helped him with the task many times when his hair was too tangled, and she wondered who had done that for him most recently.

She noticed that the mirror faced the bed and was thankful for a reason to stop the line of thinking about his most recent conquests. She chuckled, knowing the mirror placement wasn’t coincidence.

"What’s so funny?” She turned around and saw Robert staring intently at her while he sprawled across the bed, on his side.

“I’m laughing at how you arranged things so that you can watch yourself in the mirror when you–”

“–Now, now, Maggie, I remember that you enjoyed it once or twice yourself, at some of America’s finest lodging establishments. I’ll be expecting a rousing ‘you’re welcome’ from you, for said mirror placement, before we leave for the tours.”

Her laughter turned to silence and blushing. “You’re right,” she admitted, approaching the bed. “It is hard to keep my eyes off of you.”

“I feel the same about you, darlin’…” He stared up at her, beaming an affectionate smile. He crooked his finger and wiggled it at her. “I’m feeling a little lonely over here on this bed. Come join me, will you?”

Maggie climbed on and lay down, facing him.

“Ah, that’s much better… A view that is only in competition with the splendor of the beach. But you get my vote for my favorite wild, beautiful territory to explore…” he murmured as he tenderly brushed a lock of her hair out of her face.

“It’s a place I know well and love… Every mountainous curve, every flat plain, and especially that hot spring in the center of your world…” He trailed a couple of his elegant fingers down her neck, before letting his hand alight on her hip. “God, I’ve missed you, Maggie.” He sighed as he leaned in closer. “I was a bloody fool to have kept myself away from you.”

He nestled his other hand in her hair and drank in her essence by melding his lips to hers and letting his tongue meander in her mouth. She gracefully yielded to his familiar, easygoing passion.

They both purred as the kiss continued. Maggie’s fingers traipsed gently in Robert’s hair, and one of his hands crept under her shirt and made its way north, traveling the distance with a slow, feather-light touch.

Maggie’s breathing hitched and she shuddered as a tidal wave of carnal memories were triggered by Robert’s kisses and caresses. Each private second of their time together, on and off over the past four years, came to life in her mind and her body once more. Without a visit from his irrepressible manhood she was still lost in the wake of the euphoric feelings that he stoked in her body with ease.

Her back arched as Robert made it to a nipple and brushed and tugged at it until it sprang to life. She moaned as heat and wetness began to pool inside of her.

“My sweet, sweet Maggie…” He rasped his proclamation and searched her eyes, still toying with her nipple, still not in a rush to do more.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she sighed as her hand trailed down his back.

“I can’t wait to be yours, Robert…” Her voice trailed off as he started to work on the button on her jeans.

“You already are. Mine. Only our tours will separate us now, darlin’. You have my word.” He rose above her on all fours, kissing her and sending her zipper down its track.

She lifted her hips and he peeled the denim off her shapely brown legs. He palmed her between her legs and growled softly when he realized she was soaked through her panties. She felt his manhood begin to stir, even behind the sturdy fabric of his Landlubbers.

Robert rose to his knees and was about to take his pants down when a cacophony of animal noises started on the beach.

“Dammit, Strider,” he muttered, instantly knowing what had happened as the chorus of excited dog barks and seagull cries continued.

Maggie shared Robert’s love of animals, but in that moment, the chaos on the beach hit her like the cruelty of an alarm jolting someone out of a beautiful, lucid dream. She gazed in Robert’s eyes, trying to make sense of what was going on. “Is everything OK?”

Robert sighed and then laughed. “Mags, I hate to interrupt, but I must subdue my precious canine, who enjoys the company of seagulls a little too much.”

He stood, located her pants, and handed them to her. “Makes me wonder if this is his payback for no introduction between you two yet…”

“Sounds like he’s used to special treatment, after you went and wrote a song about him,” she said as she got dressed again. “That means his behavior is all your fault,” she teased.

Robert grabbed Maggie for another deep kiss. “You’ll soon find my blue-eyed boy has a mind of his own… But I never hold that against anyone who truly cares for me.” He winked at Maggie, explaining how he felt about Strider and her in one simple quip. It made Maggie wonder if any of his songs were about her, or if any might be in the future.

“OK, ready to meet the furriest member of our family?” He linked his arm with hers as they headed for the sand.


	6. Sand and Sentiments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strider makes an appearance. Robert and Maggie reminisce about how they first met and enjoy time together on the beach.

Maggie and Robert caught Strider gleefully chasing after the birds and barking his excitement. They could tell right away that he meant no harm to the seagulls, he was just excited to find playmates.

Because there was some distance between them and Strider, Robert put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. The dog raced toward his master, as though playing with his feathered friends would never match the connection he had to Robert.

Strider wagged his tail expectantly, and Robert crouched to scratch behind his pet’s ears. “Hey, boy! What kind of adventures did you get into with those birds? Hmm? Couldn’t wait for me to get some exercise? What am I going to do with you, huh?”

“He’s got you wrapped around his paw, hasn’t he?” Maggie watched with amusement as her magnetic, masculine boyfriend suddenly became a boyish imp who didn’t seem to have the heart to scold his pet.

“He is certainly a big part of my life when I’m at home.” He glanced up at Maggie but quickly trained his eyes back on Strider. He resumed ruffling the dog’s fur with joy.

“So much so that you brought him across the ocean and a big country to live with you, it seems.”

“Exactly. I couldn’t go that long without my boy!” He turned back to his pet. “Strider, this is Maggie. You’ll be seeing a lot of her for a while. I hope you two can be friends? She’s special to me, just like you.”

“Hey, Strider! I grew up with a dog in my house, so I am definitely pleased to meet you.” She stroked his fur and then scratched behind his ears, just like Robert had.

“Do you like the beach? I do, too! I love to go every chance I can get, and I’m so excited that you and Robert live here! I’d love to walk you out here. What do you say?”

She continued to pet Strider, and he nuzzled against her, glad to have met a new friend.

“He’s been cooped up almost all day; that might explain why he escaped. Why don’t we all take a walk now?”

“That’s a good idea, Robert.”

“I’ll let you bond with him a little more, while I get his favorite ball.”

“Absolutely. I’d love to keep this cutie company.” Maggie resumed petting Strider’s mottled coat and talking to him. He was content to bask in Maggie’s attention.

Maggie couldn’t have asked for a better day: seeing Robert again, becoming his special roommate, and knowing it was just the beginning of a couple of blissful weeks with him. It was like she was living inside of a rock and roll fairytale, and she planned to cherish every second.

Strider perked his ears up and wagged his tail, seconds before a ratty tennis ball soared over his head. “All right, doggo, go fetch!” Robert yelled from a distance.

He reached Maggie by the time Strider clamped down on the runaway ball. “I thought you might want this,” he said, helping her into her jacket. The wind had whipped up a bit, the waves were reclaiming some of the shoreline, and sunset was on its way.

“Thanks. It is starting to get a little chilly.”

Strider returned and dropped the ball at Robert’s feet. “Good boy. Nothing ever gets past you! Maybe there’s a tryout for you with Wolverhampton in the future, hmm?”

Robert threw Strider’s ball once more, and the pet was off again.

“Fancy a walk?” Robert placed a hand on the small of Maggie’s back.

“I’d love to.”

They stopped and started down the beach, pausing to throw Strider’s ball, examine seashells, and kiss.

“This is a lot like that first night…” Robert started.

“But very different in other ways…”

“And not just because we’re sober and not horizontal!” Robert chuckled before he got serious. “Maggie, having you here really feels like my life has regained something it was missing after the accident… I’m so glad we ran into each other. I feel more complete, more alive somehow… Does that make sense? I’ve never felt this way before.”

“I completely understand. I felt so at home when we went inside your place, and I feel like Strider and I will be good friends in no time. I don’t know, it just…”

“…Feels right.” Robert finished her thought, grasped her face, and sent her reeling with a spellbinding kiss.

They smiled at each other while their lips still touched and kissed some more.

“We’ve already woken up to a majestic sunset together; how about we watch the sun go down this time?” Robert sat on the sand, back where it was still dry, with his legs spread wide. He motioned for Maggie to join him, and whistled for Strider to take a break with them.

Maggie sat down between Robert’s legs, and he wrapped his arms around her. Strider enjoyed the feel of Maggie’s hand in his fur.

Maggie was soothed by the smell of Robert’s well-worn leather jacket and the sandalwood scent that was always there when he was close. It was a heady scent that was more powerful for her in that moment than the eternal fresh ocean smell that whipped around on the early evening air.

Robert kissed the top of her head and rested his hands on her shoulders. Just like back in 1972, they had the beach to themselves.

Maggie enjoyed the rapidly changing colors of the sky and marveled at how much had changed between them over the past few years. She was certain that her first encounter with Robert, back when she was working at the restaurant and trying to get her band off the ground, would just be a one-night fling. She was prepared to remember it as the most romantic one-night stand ever, with the most captivating man she’d ever met.

She thought that Robert asking for her number the next morning was just a polite way to say goodbye. But when he actually called the next day, and they spoke for hours… It was beyond belief.

He arranged for a car to take her to The Forum the following day, and she watched in the wings after having missed the San Diego show while working. The concert was phenomenal, and her sampling of tour life afterward was more outrageous than she could’ve imagined. It was a long night of partying and transcendent intimacy with Robert. She slept soundly through the ride back to San Diego, and her dreams were filled with visions of the vivacious blond singer.

It was a lovely beginning for them, and was joined with many more memorable encounters, of lively parties, romance, intelligent conversation, and commiserating on artistry at times. Robert was as much a friend to her as a lover, a friend who had climbed all the peaks and valleys that she was starting to climb, one who was more than willing to give her a boost when needed.

Their history made her that much more willing to experience every happy moment possible with him and work through every bad one that was to come.

“Penny for your thoughts, Mags?” Robert murmured his question in her ear after realizing she had gone silent.

“I’m just thinking about us.”

“Good thoughts, I hope?” He heated her inside with delicate kisses along her jawline.

“Only the best.” She sighed and noticed that Strider had fallen asleep.

“I’ve said it before, but you’ve always been a highlight for me whenever we come out west. You understand quite a bit of my life, having lived along a similar track. You’ve had every right, on many occasions, to get angry, never take my phone calls again, or send the driver packing, but you’re always there for the next trip with a smile. God knows I don’t deserve someone like you, with all the Good Time Percy galavanting I’ve done. Just… Thank you.”

Maggie nuzzled against his chest and enjoyed the moment.

“I was an absolute mess here after the accident. If no one had come around to see me, I’d probably be back in that caveman beard that I shaved off a little before I met you, drinking Bovril and screaming at the soccer games on the TV. I had just started getting back on track with my voice… But then my body takes a big hit? And there was no certainty as to whether things would ever be right again? I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want to deal with it, just wanted to lay low. And then it became a big, months-long pity party–a pity party with women and stimulants and anything else to chase the blues away. But the blues never left. If I had let you in… If I had sought you out when things went bad… I…”

“It’s water under the bridge, Robert. Really. Just don’t let it happen again. OK?

It was Maggie’s turn to give Robert a searing kiss.” Seriously, don’t hide out if you’re feeling low. I’m here for you.“

"I will share your load… Oooh, let me!” Robert belted out some of his ad libbing from Physical Graffiti. The wind carried off the sound, but the meaning was fully captured by Maggie’s heart.

“Exactly, shameless front man!” She laughed and sprung to her feet, dusting the sand off her clothes.

“I’m cold now… Race you back to the house?” Without a reply from Robert, she was off, with Strider following along, awake again and ready to play the new game Maggie had started.

“Dammit, woman, not so fast! You know I’m taking it easy!” Robert gingerly jogged the first few yards and, feeling fine, sprinted as best he could in the twilight to close the distance between them.


	7. Angst at Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Maggie settle into domestic life, and Robert opens up about his fears for his future.

Despite Maggie’s head start, Robert was victorious in making it to the house first, thanks to his long legs and the experience that soccer gave him with sprinting. 

“Way to go, Broadway Joe!” Maggie caressed Robert’s back when she reached him. 

“Bloody Joe Namath? Really? I’ve rubbed elbows with him from time to time in New York… I think you’ll find Englishmen are more sophisticated and entertaining…” he snarked. 

“Calm down, baby, there’s only one confirmed bachelor I have my eyes on.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss Robert’s cheek. 

“Mmmmm…” He smiled at the feel of Maggie’s lips on his clean-shaven skin. “But I’m starting to think the single life can be overrated, love…” He kissed her on her forehead. 

Maggie was surprised to hear Robert muse about settling down. “You? Trading all this in for a house with a white picket fence?" 

"I’ll never return to suburbia. I had my fill of it with my childhood… No, what I’m thinking of is more like a farm… A horse, a goat or two, chickens… Bonzo’s living the gentleman farmer dream right now, with his family, and I’d love to have that one day… The farm and the family…”

“OK… I can’t picture you doing either the suburbs or a farm. But now I’d love to see you try!" 

"Stranger things have happened, dear…” He put an arm around Maggie’s shoulders. “And who knows, you might be the one to see it all play out.”

Maggie was too surprised by everything Robert was saying to respond. Her smile said it all, while she pondered going through life as Mrs. Plant. 

“I hope that wasn’t too taxing, though? The running?” She needed to change the subject quickly, before she started naming children and picking out china patterns in her head. She knew that Robert’s attention span and resolve could be as unpredictable as the timing of California’s earthquakes. 

She searched his eyes and took in his facial expression, afraid to find traces of pain. “I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have made you–”

“–I’m fine, Mags. In fact, I think that was just what the doctor ordered. Everyone has been babying me after the accident, myself included. But maybe that hasn’t been the best idea… I’ve got to start getting back to life, you know? You just forced me to do it in a small way. And eye thank yew,” he drawled. 

“One small run for Robert…” Maggie intoned. 

“…One giant step forward for ye olde Golden God!” Robert lifted Maggie in an embrace and swung her around as they kissed. “Thank you.”

Maggie smiled shyly. 

“Oi, Strider!” Robert whistled loudly for his dog, who had started racing toward a seagull again. His pup bounded swiftly over the sand to return to his master’s side. 

“Let’s go in, Maggie love. I believe there’s an unfinished matter to attend to?" 

"I think so. But maybe we should get some dinner first, and make sure we have enough energy.”

“I like the way you think, woman. It is going to be a long night, innit?" 

"If I have my way…”

“And mine, too…” Robert backed Maggie up against the glass patio doors, pressing his body into hers. He teased his tongue between her lips and communicated all of his feelings–past, present, and future–to her with his steamy actions. Her sighs and her tight embrace acknowledged that she understood and agreed.

***

“You must really love fajitas,” said Maggie, carrying both of their plates to the table at the same time. She’d never touched a microwave before, but with Robert’s direction, she became a master of using it to heat the food. Robert’s quick tour of the drawers and cabinets enabled her to find everything they needed to set the table. She smiled to herself at how easy it felt to blend their lives together. 

“Bloody hell, just like the first night! I forgot we still had some left until you found them.” Robert couldn’t help but smile when he thought of the meal she had served him back in San Diego. “I’m sorry that I don’t have any tequila, though…”

“No worries, I think this wine will do nicely.” She took one of the three bottles of California cabernet sauvignon out of its ice water bath and handed it to Robert. 

“I suppose we can have a tequila-soaked moment on the beach whenever we want now, yeah?” He picked up the corkscrew from the table and opened the bottle. 

“Mmmmm hmm…” Maggie nodded her head. 

“We’ll have to take advantage of that soon.” Robert poured the glasses and handed one to Maggie. 

“This is wonderful,” Maggie gushed. She sipped the wine as Robert loaded a tortilla with steak strips and grilled vegetables.

“I’m friends with the owner of the winery. I’ll have to take you there sometime.”

“Is there anyone that you don’t know?”

“Well, I never got to meet any of your presidents, or their kids, even though several of the presidential youth have dug our music.” He bit into the fajita.

Maggie laughed. “Well, at least we know your influence didn’t bring down the Nixon administration.” She added some more grilled vegetables to her tortilla and took a bite.

“No, there’s only two hotels at which we’ve caused newsworthy levels of scandal, and neither’s in your nation’s capital… Well, maybe three, if you’re fool enough to believe Carmine Appice’s fishwife’s tale…”

Maggie sipped the wine while Robert paused to polish off his first fajita. 

“Your country, and your state, in particular, have been wonderful to me. And not just because of the concerts and, uh, the night life. It just feels like home, you know? Tons of sunshine, easy access to the beach, the woods, the desert, the mountains… Very little rain… I’ve met so many wonderful people here, made so many pleasant memories… The Los Angeles area has been our home base for the tours, but I could see myself making permanent roots here. And I would love to come home to you, most of all…” He held Maggie’s gaze while he readied a second tortilla and then sipped some wine. 

“You know you don’t have to say all these things to get me to sleep with you, Robert.”

“I know! I mean every word. I’m almost 30, for Christ’s sake. Freedom is nice, but living freely with someone dear…” He drained his glass and set to work on his food again. 

“I just need something more. Maggie, do you know how close I came to losing it all? Some of the doctors thought I’d never walk normally again. And it will happen someday, our band will become a thing of the past. The press never fully loved us, and now the winds are shifting a bit with the fans…”

“What do you mean?” Maggie finished her food while Robert gathered his words. 

“I’ve seen the teen magazines. Somehow they kept showing up here, when I didn’t have anything better to do. It seems some of the younger kids are getting tired of the light shows and 30-minute improvisations. They’d rather see their stars in black and white face paint and vinyl or, I don’t know, torn shirts and safety pins, rather than me in my ladies’ kimonos, or Jagger in some blue eye shadow, or Townsend destroying another guitar that they can only dream to afford…”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “This isn’t going to go on forever… I need to start thinking about a second act for myself. And that goes for my personal life as much as my professional one.”

Maggie poured herself some more wine. “You know what I think, Robert?” She took a healthy sip from the glass.

“What’s that?”

She finished the glass. “I think you’ll find that you have nothing to worry about. There’s only one Led Zeppelin. No one else can do what you all can do. I think you’ve sealed your place in the history books many times over. And whenever it might end–and I don’t think it’ll be soon–I’m sure you’ll get back on your feet quickly. I know you. You can’t stop singing. It’s too much a part of you.“

Robert smiled softly.

"And I also think you have all the time in the world to think about the future of the band and your personal future. Nothing is going to be solved in one night… I think that maybe I need to help you forget about all that for now.” She grabbed his plate and finished the last bite of his third tortilla. Then, she took their plates and cutlery to the sink.

Robert, realizing the bottle of wine was almost empty, grabbed it and finished it in one swallow. He uncorked the next one.

“I’d like that a lot, Maggie dear. It will be much more fun to focus on the different ways I can make you come one time after another…” He chuckled devilishly. “Let’s pick up where we left off.”

He stood and grabbed the fresh bottle, wrapping his fist around the neck, and turned toward the bedroom. But he relinquished control of the wine when Maggie caressed his hand and took the bottle, placing it back on the table.

“I’m going to need both of your hands right now.” She traced his jawline with one hand.

"I’m all yours… Every. Last. Inch…” He bent down, fisted her hair with one hand and pulled her closer by the waist with the other. All of the energy of his fear quickly transmuted to lust with a savage kiss. 

As Robert peeled off her shirt, fondled her breasts, and dove in for another hungry kiss, Maggie knew that he was back with her in the present and ready to fill each second of the next several hours with rapture rather than dread.


	8. Let's Get It On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long day, Maggie and Robert turn to each other for romance and rejoice in their reunion. (Whole chapter is basically smut.)

Robert removed the rest of Maggie’s clothes in the dining room and hoisted her onto the table.

“Good thing you helped me clear the table, Robert.”

“Teamwork always prospers, love.” Robert stood between her outstretched legs and kissed her again while his hands delighted in the feel of her soft skin wherever he felt like touching her.

He grabbed the open wine bottle and drank. Maggie did the same when he offered it. To her relief, he sat the bottle on the kitchen counter when they were done with it. It would not get jostled around or spill on her with their movements.

When Robert returned to his station in front of Maggie, she removed his shirt and unbuckled his belt.

“I’ll take it from here…” Robert tossed his jeans on the floor. He paused to grab Maggie’s panties from their perch on one of the living room lamps. There was no rhyme or reason to where they had thrown their clothes in haste. It looked like a hurricane of passion had whipped its way through the room, but things were just getting started.

“I think there’s one more thing we need for this scene…” Robert walked over to the stereo, and Maggie watched his regal, chest-forward saunter in profile. His hard cock was still the same tantalizing spectacle and always would be.

“Hot off the presses…” He flashed the cover of a new Marvin Gaye album, I Want You. “I haven’t listened to it yet, but Cole assures me that it’s truly fucking hot.”

The congas, strings and swirl of other instruments on the title song started up as Robert made his way back to Maggie. “What a sexy groove… Mmm…” He snapped his fingers and added his own moans and ad libs to the song’s instrumental introduction. He lost himself for a minute in a performance for Maggie, undulating his waist, rocking his hips, letting his mane fly. It was his first time stepping back into his Golden God persona after so many months, and it felt like home, even moreso because it was a mating dance with one specific person in mind.

“I told you that you wouldn’t have lost a step when you got back into it…” Maggie’s eyes glazed over as Robert teased her by grinding his hips and massaging his cock with a firm grasp. He moaned softly and she fixated on the satisfaction he had gained for himself. She felt her sex pulse and knew that she was growing wetter by the second. His manhood became a lightning rod for the sensual energy that surged at her core.

“You made it possible, love. I couldn’t help myself. You deserve the best from me.“ He brushed his lips against hers. "You deserve all of it. Starting now…”

Maggie wrapped her arms around Robert’s back as he littered her neck with kisses and nips of his teeth.

“Robert, Robert, Robert…” She sighed. Her anticipation for more was sweet torture. He had moved on to laving her nipples, and then her navel, with his warm tongue. At any other time it would’ve been heaven, but now, it simply wasn’t enough. She whimpered in frustration at Robert’s slow pace.

“Shhh… Good things come to those who wait, darlin’. I promise…” He grinned his most devious grin, the kind that promised all the dirty things that drove her wild.

Robert lowered himself to his knees as his hands trailed down her thighs. There was no mistaking what his eyes were telling her would come next. She would be his dessert, and only time would tell if he was in a mood to hastily devour or savor the delight between her legs.

She moved as close to the edge of the table as she could and draped her legs over his shoulders. He cradled her back with one hand and held her folds in place with fingers from his other hand, creating a pedestal for her swollen clit and his worship of it.

Broad strokes of his tongue washed over her bud and the rest of her sensitive flesh in seemingly never-ending waves. She arched into his swirling motions and held his head in place with both of her hands. Every sensation that she was feeling was one she had cherished many times before: the ethereal softness of her hands in his cloud of curls, the warmth of his prowling tongue, and now the stretch of two of his fingers inside of her. “I missed you so much, baby…” Her words nearly caught in her throat as she reveled in Robert’s ministrations.

Robert didn’t stop to respond; rather, he tugged gently at her clit with his lips and continued to feed her longing in the best way he knew. He couldn’t see the look on her face, but he heard every moan and gasp and felt her buck harder against his face.

She knew he was proud of his work when she felt his mouth broaden into a smile against her skin. There was no time for her to appreciate his joy, however, as his labor paid off in a fiercely transcendent climax soon after.

Maggie couldn’t ever remember screaming so loudly. She realized it was because there was no threat of hotel security coming, no angst from her too-close-for-comfort neighbors or endless teasing from her brother. She and Robert were alone. No interruptions would be forthcoming, and there’d be no walk of shame in the morning.

Robert had changed from the young man she had met, the hotel-dwelling neophyte with the tangled hair, patches in his jeans and, astonishingly to him, the overnight success of four wildly popular albums released in rapid succession. He was now a grown man with his own sprawling place in America, a place she knew he would insist on calling their place now. He wasn’t a man-child at the mercy of the managers and assistants in his home, he was the one who paid the bills and made the decisions. Here, in this Malibu hideaway, he had all the power and privacy that he had wanted all along. It was his domain, where he was king, and she had just been dubbed his queen. It was liberating.

She was excited to chart a life with him, and to have him in her corner for her future in music. She had never experienced that kind of support and freedom before, and this climax seemed to usher in a period of life on a plane she never dreamt possible.

“You’re really enjoying yourself, then?” Robert teased as he stood and kissed Maggie. His lips were moist with the wetness that gushed from her when she came; she felt the dampness and caught the scent of her essence on his face.

“You have no idea…”

“Hmmm… This table seems like a lucky spot for us. Shall we continue here?” He stood between her thighs again and lowered her back to the coarse material of the tablecloth.

“That’s fine with me, baby.” She made herself comfortable and then lifted her legs, bringing her ankles to rest on Robert’s shoulders.

“One of my favorite ways to take you, love…” He wanted to tease her more, but he figured they both had waited enough. He leaned in. The head of his cock cleared the tightness of her lips, and he groaned.

“Welcome back, baby…” she said in a husky purr.

“Fuck, so tight still… Mmmm…” Robert had abandoned his plan to ease inside of Maggie gradually and instead sunk into her core, to the hilt, in one smooth motion.

“Robert… Oh, Robert… I missed your big dick so much… Mmmm… No one else has filled me like you can… Always so good…” His hands were splayed on the table, and she clutched his hard-flexed arms tightly as she undulated against his pelvis.

“I’m so glad we found each other today… I shouldn’t have waited… I missed you, too, darlin.’”

Maggie closed her eyes and surrendered to the familiar sensual dance with Robert. The push-pull of their energy, and the pleasure being generated between them, made it feel like it was only yesterday when they had last been this close. No passion, no intensity, no love had been lost. It was bliss. She basked in the intense sensations he was unleashing in her body with each measured thrust.

Their lovemaking felt just as right as all the things she cherished about Robert when they laughed together and shared thoughts on everything under the sun. After several years, their coupling had become warm and familiar, but it was still exciting, somehow fresh each time. This latest time was no different. She closed her eyes tightly and moaned.

“Fuck! How do you do this to me?” The rasp of Robert’s voice was ecstatic and anguished. He began to thrust harder.

“Closer…” Maggie cried. Robert obliged, leaning further into her. It was tempting for Robert to gallop off into the oblivion of climax with hard, swift motion, but he set them on the scenic route to carnal ecstasy with long, deliberate strokes.

Maggie arched into Robert more sharply, ensuring she was not being deprived one fraction of an inch of his goodness. Every thrust Robert delivered was as vital as each beat of her heart. He had ignited sweet, molten ecstasy that flowed from her core until she was paralyzed by the climax that ensued. She was trapped in a pleasurable loop of pulsating, orgasmic waves, rooted to the spot like an insect trapped in resin and, much later, amber, before it could react. It was too beautiful to be a prison, but nevertheless she was locked into sensations that had an unbreakable hold over her.

It was not lost on Robert that his lover had been rocketed off to somewhere unreachable, somewhere inside of herself that was pleasurable energy, love, and light. He was torn between comforting her and greedily chasing his own end.

The answer was made for him while he deliberated, in the form of a shockwave of pleasure. It was like a lightning bolt that furiously seared the air one second and was a vague wisp of itself seconds later.

Maggie slowly lowered her legs. When Robert withdrew himself, her body started up with exquisite tremors all over again. This time, Robert kissed her, smoothed her hair, and lightly held her shoulders. He grinned as he watched the persistence of her enjoyment, proud that he still knew how to please her.

Robert was still panting and brushed his sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes once more. Maggie’s breathing had made it back to normal, and she was riding the last, weakest waves of satisfaction. She opened her eyes moments later.

“Robert…” She breathed his name and flashed a dreamy smile that he realized was not unlike her reaction to his quaaludes.

“Maggie…” He helped her to sit up on the table.

She laughed softly and they bonded once again, by their eyes on each other.

“I know, Mags… I know. I never could’ve imagined my day would’ve ended like this, but I’m so glad it did.”

“Me, too.” She trailed a hand from his damp chest to his abdomen.

“I’ll be right back.” He kissed her softly. Marvin’s falsetto croon nicely summed up his feelings for the day: “but since we’re still friends, let me make love to you again, baby.” Robert smiled uncontrollably and turned off the stereo.

“Let’s go, darlin’.” Back at the table, he offered his hand, helped Maggie down, lifted her into his arms, and carried her off to the bedroom.


	9. Late Night Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert cheerfully contemplates the future with Maggie, while she hopes he will continue to open up.

After some hushed pillow talk and more teasing and connecting of their bodies, Robert and Maggie drifted off to sleep.

Some time later, Maggie woke up, enveloped in Roberts arms, to moonlight flooding the room and the muted sound of the ocean. She smelled her perfume on him, mixed with his earthy, masculine scent. He was sleeping on his back and snoring softly. He’d piled his hair behind his head in hopes of cooling down after their lengthy tryst.

She nuzzled her cheek against his chest fuzz. It was one of her favorite places in the world to be, and it felt good to be back.

She had missed him, as she always did when tour dates or oceans separated them.

The lengthy gaps in their connections were the worst part of their unique relationship. Robert was always eager to wallow in the things that excited him about America while in the country, always eager to spend as much time with her as possible, but once his plane pointed toward England, things weren’t the same between them. He’d told her that he needed a few weeks alone to shake off his tour persona, but by then he was off to another pub or soccer pitch with his best mates, and English life with family and friends became far more seductive than she was.

Eventually he’d come around and they’d reconnect through letters and calls. She could feel his laughter during their phone conversations, and his sexy murmur still affected her from thousands of miles away when he unleashed it, but there was always a slight sense of distance. She knew that he didn’t have a wife and kids waiting for him, like Bonzo and Jonesy, and she knew that he cared for her, but he could not be moved from his wish for sanctuary and time for the rambunctious US fans and silver-tongued hangers-on to fade away.

It, by far, was the worst part of their arrangement, worse than knowing that Robert was galavanting with other women while on tour. There was no human competition; instead, there was a wall he’d built to guard his real life. She was glad to hear him admit earlier, at last, that the distance between them, this time apart in the same big state, hurt him as much as it hurt her.

It was satisfying to hear Robert speak from his heart, without hiding behind jokes or the sweet diversion of his seduction. She hoped this revelation, and the bond that would be formed with their extended time together, would lead to her first trip to his country sometime soon.

Maggie loved that Robert was so unflinchingly sure about his vision for their future, and she was beyond excited about it, but she wondered what would happen when they encountered people who didn’t care about any of that.

She had recently became more aware of the perks of being a front woman, and she could understand why being the lead singer was such a drug for Robert and others. The reaction from her regional touring was much more intense than when her band played the hyperlocal bar circuit in San Diego. It was new and exciting, she had to admit–having such a large number of eyes on her, knowing the crowd had felt and enjoyed the energy she gave to them, feeling the rush of their collective, appreciative energy washing powerfully over her, and gaining groupies of her own.

She knew her throng of admirers was nowhere near the harem that often waited for Robert backstage, a spectacle she had witnessed plenty of times, but there were men who showed up with flowers and flattering words for her, more than before. Their smiles were sometimes admiring, sometimes leering. Many of them made her skin crawl, or she sensed a creepy, possessive threat behind their flirtation. But some were men who sincerely enjoyed her music and wanted to spend a little more time with her. Some of that number were cute, too cute to resist. She had found herself in this same nighttime cuddling position with those men, but she could say it never felt as right as it did with Robert.

She sighed and stretched her legs. Robert stirred and held her tighter without waking up. The thoughts of future tour life persisted. She realized that it had been a few years since Robert last brought up the topic of her post-concert nights. Robert had told her many times that he couldn’t possibly demand exclusivity from her, knowing his reality, and now she wondered if his lack of curiosity was due to an easygoing spirit or a delicate heart. Only time would tell, under their new arrangement.

Knowing those concerns could wait, she turned her attention back to Robert. Even asleep, without his expressive face in motion and his arsenal of charming words, he was irresistible. His classical jawline was relaxed, with his mouth open slightly, but his eyelashes fanned over his skin, creating a shy, boyish expression. It made her wonder what the schoolboy version of Robert had looked like.

Fully awake now, she decided to rouse him for some company. She gingerly pulled back the covers. By the light of the moon she could see his chest gracefully rising and falling, the soft ripples of his abdomen, his dormant manhood, which still teased with possibility, and his sturdy thighs.

She wanted to trail her tongue and lips over every inch of his skin, but she knew that focusing on his sex would be the most efficient way to get his attention.

She wrested herself from his embrace as slowly as possible, and then she headed south. She trailed a finger down the length of his cock which, in its relaxed state, was still larger than what some of the groupies presented to her. She sighed and shuddered with delight as some of the best moments of the last few hours played themselves back in her mind and body.

She lifted and encircled her fingers around Robert’s manhood, licking him to life with straight and circular lashes, similar to the varied methods with which she polished off her ice cream cone during the day. Back at her car, Robert had given a blow-by-blow (as he insisted on calling it) commentary on her ice cream consumption and became engrossed in her work to the point that his cone started to melt and drip down his hand. The thought made her chuckle with pride while she continued her current labor of love.

“Mmmm… What’s so funny?” The vibrations of her laughter had done the trick. “He not getting there fast enough for you, lusty woman? Even he needs a rest from time to time.” Robert’s voice was more breathy and husky than usual upon waking up, and the sultry tone made a strong current of need surge inside of Maggie.

She paused and crawled up to kiss Robert insistently. “I was just thinking of how much you like this.”

“That I do, love…” Robert propped himself up with pillows while she headed back to his lap and continued. He smoothed her hair out of her face. She looked up at him briefly and her eyes did the smiling while her mouth was completely preoccupied with the full swell of Robert’s sex. And then, eyes closed, she continued.

“My favorite was that one time we flew from LA to Seattle. Remember? The turbulence? Ah, the sweet feel of your mouth, the tease of life and death in the balance with each unexpected dip of the plane… I tried to get you back in your seat, but you were committed… Fuck, ‘til the very end… Every last drop… Best flight since the first time we left the British Isles… We’ll have to see if our schedules align for the long flight to Texas next year, love… Mmm…”

Maggie opened her eyes briefly and saw Robert’s head slowly roll backward. His lips were slightly parted, and she could hear his hungry breathing.

“You always did spoil me, Mags. Mmmmm…” He inhaled sharply as she teased his sensitive underside.

“Now’s my turn to spoil you… Breakfast in bed, coming up in a few hours. Full English. I love Betsy’s cooking dearly, but you Yanks just don’t have that touch of English domestic magic. Had to get my mum to ship some packages of our bacon, even. You can only eat those American fried fat strips so many times you know?”

“Fuck, darlin’… Feels like you could be down there for the next couple of weeks, if I let you! Mmmmm…” He held her hair tighter with one hand, while the other migrated from a shoulder to one of her breasts. He put the pad of his thumb to work on her nipple, adding to the pleasure she was getting from his reactions.

He started to thrust lightly. “I know exactly which stores we should visit for your tour wardrobe. But why don’t you also pick out a few things of mine? I’d love to see someone wear that black bolero again… The one with the white trim that I was still wearing around the time we met? Won’t be fitting me anytime soon…”

Maggie moved one of her hands to cup Robert’s heavy-laden balls as she continued to bob her head and corkscrew her other hand on the expanse of his shaft.

Robert groaned and his body became restless with the slow build of pleasure. “I had a dream about you onstage… Couldn’t get your moves out of my mind, I suppose… Perfectly filled pair of hot pants and the tiniest T-shirt that put your tits in the spotlight… I was in the front row, and you kissed me. I fully enjoyed being on that side of the groupie exchange. Let’s just say I showed my appreciation of you in your limo… You almost screamed as loud as you did in the kitchen earlier!” His pride in his dream performance pulled the corners of his mouth into a Chesire cat grin.

“But you know, I must see your lovely ass in some leather pants. Maybe a leather halter, too? I saw a bit of Chaka Khan in concert, and she had on a sexy ensemble like that… Leather, feathers… It would look great on you, too.”

Robert moved his hands to Maggie’s shoulders and thrusted deeper.

“Fuck! Woman… Uh…”

Robert’s chatter dissolved into agonized moans for a time before he continued. “I’ll… I’ll need a private concert, of course… Uh… Yes, love… Right there… It’s high bloody time I cash in on the perks of rock royalty, you know? I can see it now, the band breaking into a saucy rhythm, and mi amor, all hips and waist movement and flying hair… And… And.. Ohhhhh… That voice…”

Robert closed his eyes and let his body take over. His hands flew to the sides of her head as he chased the climax on the horizon.

“I bought a bootleg of one of your concerts… Forgive me, love, but I know you have some of ours! Uh… Uh… Shit, I’m almost there!” he hissed. “I couldn’t stop listening to ‘Last Night.’ That’s my favorite, I think… Reminds me of us! ‘Last night, when we rocked and rolled, oh, you struck my soul, and you filled that hole in my heart.’” He gathered the last of his waning strength to belt out the song, the same as she had.

“You really lost yourself in the song… Your voice! So wild. Fuck! Baby… Yes, Maggie, yes, Maggie, yessssss… Uh… The first time I heard the boot… Hot as fuck… I couldn’t help myself, I… I… Uh… Ohhhhh, baby, yes… I thought of you on top of me, and I… Made me so fucking hard… My hands… Needed you… Had to make do… But not tonight, baby… Not tonight, not tomorrow… You’re here… In my life, in my house, my bed… Right where you should be… I’m so glad you… Ohhh…. Oh! Fuck! I…” Robert’s body stiffened suddenly and his seed coursed. His final moan rolled on for almost as long as his climactic note in Kashmir.

Maggie’s lips softened their grip as she withdrew his cock. She kissed the glistening head before retiring to Robert’s outstretched arms.

“I’ve never been so happy to be up at 4 a.m.,” he said, glancing at the glow-in-the-dark clock. “Hell of a wake-up call, Magdalena dear…”

“Great conversation,” she teased. “Can’t wait for this breakfast you’ve promised.“

"You’ll have to wait a little for that meal, but I’m going to have a delightful feast now…” He guided Maggie to rest in his spot on the bed, and with the first stroke of his tongue in her sex, she knew breakfast could wait.


End file.
